Before anything else we would like to clarify that we respect Jose Rizal. In no way do we mean to offend him as a person or as a Filipino. Rizal as a person is also someone to be amazed at, with his skills in writing, medicine, painting, sculpting, fencing, and etc. His efforts in trying to assert the Philippines as a province of Spain as well as creating awareness among the people about the social cancer that has deeply infected society through his books are indeed honorable and admirable. But usually during Rizal's birthday or his death anniversary, articles surface on how debatable Rizal is as a national hero. We don't believe it's debatable. Why? Because there is no actual national hero. (HERE'S THE SOURCE IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE US)

THAT'S RIGHT. EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS A LIE. But to be honest every Filipino child was brought up to believe that Jose Rizal was the sole national hero. There are dozens of movies, books, memorabilia, and literature that are based on him and his life. So much importance is placed on him such that in our high school we had to memorize all of his girlfriends (and there were many for this 4'11" tall man). There is even this recognized religion that considers Rizal as a divine figure, and the people are called Rizalistas (source). They treat the literary works as a sacred scripture. But if there is no true national hero, how did it become that Rizal was the most valued among all the men and women who sacrificed their lives for the Philippines?

We could say it was the Americans who started all of this. During their occupation in the Philippines, the US Governor William Howard Taft suggested to the National Commission Jose Rizal as the country's national hero for his diplomatic and peaceful manner in trying to give more freedom to his countrymen. They believed that Andres Bonifacio was out of the question because he was too violent for their taste. By making Bonifacio as a national hero would also create a greater possibility that the Filipinos would follow his ways of action for independence. He was declared the greatest Filipino hero during the Spanish period, however, not explicitly as the national hero. (source)

There were nine possible national heroes declared by the National Heroes Committee on November 15, 1995 and no further action was taken. Below are the considered national heroes (source):

And this begs the question, "Who should we really consider as our national hero?" Many debates have ensued with the topic Bonifacio vs. Rizal. We believe that Bonifacio would pose as a better choice than the latter. With Bonifacio, he was more of a man of the masses. According to historian and Jose Rizal expert Ambeth Ocampo, Rizal was not well-known among the Filipinos during his own lifetime (source). He was of the richer class and did not quite connect with the masses as Bonifacio did. Bonifacio was not rich and had experience much more discrimination as an indio or native Filipino than Rizal. He understood what the masses needed, which was independence and not assimilation, and took an active approach. Although he failed, he had catalyzed the revolution in the Central Luzon region, which continued even after his death, or possibly his assassination. Instead of a man blessed with privilege and opportunity, we would have an everyday man who had enough of the oppression in society and fought for his and others' freedom.

And what if our national hero was a woman? In our education, we always brush on the topic of Gabriela Silang and Melchora Aquino. What if we gave as much importance as we did in Rizal's love life to detailed accounts on Silang's success in her battles or Aquino's arrest, deportation and life in Guam at her old age? (source) Is it possible to infer that the people of this country would respect women more if they were taught at a younger age that these women do not stand lower than Rizal but right beside him? What about Sultan Kudarat as a national hero? Would we stop treating our Muslim brothers and sisters with less prejudice?

This article is not to bash on Rizal, his achievements and beliefs. But let us not disillusion ourselves into thinking he is the greatest Filipino there was. We have eight others who stand next to him, equally deserving of magnificence.

When all the things you see around you are manifestations of how amazing and awesome other countries are or how they're all better off than you'll ever be, especially because it seems like your country is always bombarded with an endless string of problems year after year after year, then no one can really blame you if you have these unexplained feelings of resentment and maybe even hate towards the place where you are right now.

Just this past year, I got to have some discussions and dialogues with several people who made me think. Ever since I was 12 my mind has been set on how ready I was to leave these all behind for something greater, something that i can only find in other countries. I'm usually neutral about a lot of things but when it comes to opportunities and living abroad, you expect that i will have a lot of things to say about it: how awesome it would be, how life can be so much better if my parents actually pushed through with migrating to another country when i was in the second grade, how our lives would be helluva lot easier if only we were given more opportunities than what we are currently experiencing here; but after several weeks and months of thinking things through and reflecting on some of the things i thought were right and true, i realized just how sad and insulting my beliefs were. To some degree, my reasons about leaving the country as soon as possible were relatively valid and they make sense, but at the same time, it's basically just me trying to flee from my reality and being ungrateful and close minded about all the efforts of the people around me. I thought sure, my thoughts were greatly influenced by the events and people that surrounded me on a daily basis for a long time but when I tried to open my eyes a little more, things started to make sense. The Philippines, my hometown, has so much to offer and more.

Despite the large array of shows and commercials in the media showing how much everything sucks here, how everything is so much better outside, how great it would be if we looked a certain way, and how cool we will be if we support certain products, once you've caught a glimpse of the unique little gems the country has to offer, everything will start to look different.

THE MUSIC I'm sad that I let the opinion of others about some things, like the Philippine music scene, influence me while growing up. I grew up surrounded by this unspoken agreement that listening to OPM is not cool and it's something you shouldn't even consider. I honestly don't know where that came from but it seems like every time a Filipino song is brought up, it wasn't really taken seriously and sometimes it's just considered as a joke. This is fucking shame if you ask me now because once I got out of that place, and I actually tried listening to some chosen OPM songs, I immediately got hooked. The songs were catchy and some were just a masterpiece that i couldn't get enough of. I also started to notice how you won't really get to see and hear these songs because it's not as shown as other more profitable songs that don't even hold a candle next to some OPM masterpieces.

THE PLACES It seems like the wanderlust bug has bitten a lot of people lately and I'm pretty sure a lot of people have been looking through lists of all the places they can go to, the world is your oyster after all. When you go online, left and right, you'll see millions of photos and posts about how cheap some countries actually are if you want to visit and how amazing the world is and the chances of you getting out there have increased since you can literally do everything with the help of all the travelling guides and apps out there. The world is definitely massive and with the hundreds of places and countries anyone can visit, you can easily get overwhelmed with all the opportunities. If that is your problem right now, try narrowing your options down to your continent, heck narrow it down to your country. While doing my own research, I found out that even if the Philippines is smaller than most countries out there, our undeniably beautiful and fascinating tourist destinations don't just stop at Boracay, Palawan, and the Banaue Rice Terraces. Have you seen the beaches of Camiguin? The Bangui Wind Farm in Ilocos? The Palo Alto falls in Rizal? There's so many more hidden gems around the country, try to include those in your travel-the-world plan.

THE MEDIA I didn't particularly like the things I see on my TV screen. I hate how everyone was being portrayed on TV and how people react to certain "shallow" things (like those celebrity marriages that the news can't seem to get enough of that they just have to put it on every news outlet). After I got over some of my teenage angst and tried to analyze what made me dislike most of things I see, I realized that it's all business; everything is literally all about that cash. I thought maybe if we all just try to take a step back and see how the things we're seeing on our screens are mostly just ploys to get us to willingly hand our money to other people, we will be able to clearly see that everything they show are just things controlled by other people, people just like us, people we interact with. This made me question a lot of things and prompted me to do more research about the things I see around me. Don't be fooled by what you see around you, don't be fooled into believing that everything you see on the screen is true; I would strongly suggest that you do your own research. Don't let some money making machine make you think that the people around you suck so much that you will reach a point where you resent everyone around you and you will just try to do your best to get away from them.

These are just some of the points that made me rethink about everything I felt before; but after this will I still leave the country? Yes, I probably will. I would still want to go out there and experience the world and see all the amazing sights and meet new people; but this does not mean that while I'm out there I will continuously hate on what I left behind and I won't come back and give back whenever I possibly can. We're all still young and the world is so big and there are so many opportunities available for everyone now but this should not stop us from sharing more about how awesome our country is to everyone else. Going out and exploring the world while finding yourself in all those places you want to go to should not stop us from appreciating the things we can see in our country too. All the bad press and exposures the country gets shouldn't stop us from seeing what is really happening around us and it also shouldn't discourage us from trying to make things better, because no matter how many times your parents have told you this, "everything starts with you." Once you've seen how awesome the Philippines is, try to do your best so that everyone around you can also see how awesome you think your country is. Don't let petty opinions and headlines tell you otherwise.

Loving your country does not necessarily mean you have to go all patriotic and sacrifice your life in the name of the people; sometimes by simply appreciating the people that surrounds you and taking care of the places around you is a good start.

Let's get things straight here. Not all old people listen to classical music and not all teenagers listen to so called alien music. Both generations can find a connection in music. Admit it, how many times have you found yourselves wanting to dance along with your mom or dad when you hear an 80s song playing on the radio? Music has a way of bringing both generations together. It knows how to stir up something in our hearts and that's a beautiful thing! So please don't automatically stereotype each other's taste in music because for all we know that old lady's the one listening to Metallica while we're the ones listening to Frank Sinatra!

CLOTHING

The clothing style for every generation has always been very different. From gowns that are heavier than the wearer to dresses that could pass off as undergarments, from pants that need suspenders to those that stoop lower than people's bottoms, the changes in people's clothing have caused quite the argument between the old and new generations. Most elders would call modern clothes today sleazy and slutty while the generation today would say that it's more liberal and expressive. Personally, I think that the argument on what a woman or man should wear is ridiculous. We should all just respect what each person wants to wear. People should dress more for themselves than for other people. Teens must remember though that freedom of expression is one thing but there are always "appropriate clothing depending on the occasion". What's important is that we remember that what we wear may say a lot about who we are, but our disrespect can say loads more about ourselves.

LINGO

The lingo we have today is far different from those of our elders. The short cuts such as LOL, TMI, OMG, NR, and so many more are treated as an alien language. Teens usually end up making fun of the mistakes that our elders make when using the lingo instead of helping them understand us. Another big thing that has changed is the teens' prevalent and fond use of curses. I have to admit that we know it's wrong and we know it can be disrespectful. Some may use it as a form of nonchalant expression but we know it's true when our parents say there is always another way to express thyself, like maybe “fudgecakes”.

As the decades have rolled by, the world has seen many drastic changes in society. It's no surprise that most teens today can't even begin to relate to their parents. The change in music, clothing, beliefs, lingo, and most importantly technology is so different, it's pretty ridiculous. You have to wonder how it's possible to create a connection with our parents. Despite all of these, there's always a spark, even just a tiny one that ignites a bright and beautiful bond.

BELIEFS

Most of the arguments we get into with our parents are caused by our differences on points of view. Parents tend to have traditional beliefs. Most traditionalists believe we shouldn't have a romantic relationship with the same sex or that divorce shouldn't be legal along with many other issues. But If there's one thing we both have in common is our belief to express our beliefs and stand by them which often leads to arguments. I'm not saying that it's wrong to tell people what you believe in, but there is a fine line between giving our opinion and being disrespectful.

TECHNOLOGY

The biggest change that has occurred in our lifetime is technology. In a 30 year span we evolved from landline phones which could only place calls and messages, to the smart phone which can basically do everything. Our parents and grandparents grew up having to research in libraries while now all we need is Google. We are the digital citizens and they are the digital migrants. Their grasp on the advances in technology we have today aren't usually as good as ours. I'm not saying also that all adults have limited knowledge on tech but most have a hard time coping with the rapid evolution of technology. Which is why we, the younger generation should learn to be more understanding of our elders' lack of tech-savviness. We should also not take advantage of their technological ignorance out of respect at the very least. As for our elders, it's also important that they also try to understand and immerse themselves into the beautiful world of technology. It can be amazing and scary but remember that it's always up to each one of us, young or old.

Being so different from our parents can have its disadvantages but it can also be a wonderful thing. The amount of knowledge we can gain from one another will not only help each other improve but will also be able to strengthen the bond between parent and child.

I think the major problem we have today with our parents is the lack of communication and open dialogue. We often end every argument with them with "You don't understand anything!" We say this to them again and again, and yet we never really try to explain why we feel like they don't understand. Our parents love us and do want to understand us. They only want the best for us and that is why they cling on to their traditional beliefs, they believe these will be good for us. Some times, they are correct but then again our parents should also be able to keep an open mind. Like in every relationship, it should be give and take; both parties should be able to listen to each other to have a real dialogue. Honestly, this is easier said than done but I believe consistent work on the relationship can make this a possibility. If we remember that we love each other and value our relationship more than being right, then there is hope. Remember that once long, long, ago our parents were teenagers too!

Even before she was welcomed into Monaco’s royal family, Grace Kelly was already highly regarded as a member of Hollywood royalty. This beautiful and strong woman was definitely born to wear the crown. But aside from being heralded with glamorous titles such as Queen of Hollywood and Princess of Monaco, Grace was also known for her kind and giving personality. When Grace Kelly officially retired as an actress and began her life as Princess Grace, she headed many charities and philanthropic organizations. In fact, she was the president of the Monaco Red Cross. During her first year as a Princess, Grace organized a yearly Christmas party for the Monegasque children. And get this: no parents were allowed to attend the party. How adorable is that? Princess Grace definitely exhibited a special concern for the welfare of children. In 1966, she launched Monaco’s first daycare center, of which she was a regular visitor ready to play, sing and read to the children. The daycare also enabled mothers to pursue careers separate from housework. In 1963, Grace founded AMADE, a non-profit organization that “promotes and protects the moral and physical integrity and spiritual well-being of children throughout the world, without distinction of race, nationality or religion and in a spirit of complete political independence.” Grace Kelly also placed importance in the arts. In 1964, she founded La Fondation Princesse Grace, which aims to “to foster involvement among young people in the creative arts, especially to provide scholarships for eligible young students.”

Aside from her outstanding involvement in charity work, I think that what best makes Grace Kelly Woman-Crush-Wednesday-Worthy is her down-to-earth and honest disposition. With her golden hair, blue eyes and natural elegance, it is easy to label her as a glamorous ice-queen. However, nothing is further from the truth. Grace Kelly may possess otherworldly beauty and exceptional talent, but she never failed to tell people that she was not perfect. That her life was not perfect. In fact, she once said that “The idea of my life as a fairy tale is itself a fairy tale.” and “I certainly dont think of my life as a fairy tale, I think of myself as a modern, contemporary woman who has had to deal with all kinds of problems that many women today have to deal with. I am still trying to cope.” She liked reminding people that behind the seemingly perfect facade is a woman who experiences pain and hurt like the rest of us. Grace never even liked being a movie star, saying: “I loved acting- working in the theatre and in pictures. But I really didn't like being a movie star. I loved working at my craft, but I didn't like everything that went with the public’s idea of what a movie star ought to be.” She loved the opportunity of expressing her art, yet she detested the smoke and mirrors that came along with the publicity and fame. Nowadays, it is rare to hear such confessions and views from highly celebrated actors and actresses. But Grace was unafraid. She was honest, open and fearless to express her opinions and stories.

Grace Kelly is most definitely a woman that we could all look up to and take as a role model. She was a celebrity famous for her perfect face, perfect body, perfect hair, perfect acting, perfect marriage, perfect wedding dress and perfect fairy tale of a life. And yet, she was the first to say that her fairy tale story is truly what it is - a fairy tale. A mere work of fiction. In a way, Grace was the antithesis of the celebrities of today, who strive to create the illusion of a perfect life through their glamorous instagram pictures and photoshopped viral pictures. She reminds us all that we don’t need have the perfect fairy tale story to be a great woman. In her last interview before her death, Grace Kelly was asked how she would like to be remembered. She replied: “I would like to be remembered as a person who accomplished something, who was kind and loving. I would like to leave behind me the memory of a human being who behaved properly and tried to help others.”

Whitewashing in terms of media happens when white actors portray character roles that are meant to be of another ethnicity. Most commonly, American and European actors are asked to portray such roles. Sometimes it is also when celebrities with dark skin are made to look "whiter" and when films or shows show little to no diversity by showcasing a predominantly white cast wherein their plots have no distinct description of it being a story about people in this particular race.

This phenomena has existed since the dawn of filmmaking wherein classic stories and legends from all around the world are adapted into motion pictures. One prime example would be Elizabeth Taylor’s portrayal of Cleopatra in the 1963 film adaptation of the Egyptian Queen’s story. If you’ve taken a geography class before, Egypt is located in Africa and they are an ethnic group with people who mainly have a dark complexion. This was probably one of her most famous roles but unfortunately it is just another instance of white women representing women of color.

In some cases, the excuse for casting white actors in such movies is that it is a marketing strategy, especially if such actors are well-known in the industry. Although it is true that using popular celebrities can gain more profit and attention, it is quite wrong to favour using white actors than casting people of colour who would fit the true and natural description of the characters.

Exodus' main cast pictured with the "slaves"

Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily

M.I.A.'s Nylon Singapore cover (after and before)

One recent and heavily talked about incident of whitewashing is the 2014 film Exodus: Gods and Kings. The main cast (consisting of actors such as Christian Bale and Aaron Paul) portray characters from the Bible that should be of Egyptian (African) descent. Producer Ridley Scott’s excuse for using these actors was and I quote, “I can’t mount a film of this budget, where I have to rely on tax rebates in Spain, and say that my lead actor is Mohammad so-and-so from such-and-such. I’m just not going to get it financed. So the question doesn’t even come up”.

You see, his response is just problematic and ridiculous. First of all, what the fuck does he mean by Mohammad so-and-so from such-and-such? Second, he deliberately chose white actors for the main cast implying it was easier yet he managed to have several people of colour portraying as slaves and extras. And third, he’s Ridley Scott; the same person who produced notable films such as Prometheus with Idris Elba and who directed American Gangster starring Denzel Washington. So it’s quite confusing as to why he couldn’t pull some strings to be able to cast people of colour in this film.These Egypt-based movies are just a small portion of the whitewashing phenomena (you can learn more about appreciating Egypt from last week’s article). As mentioned, this could also occur through the non-diversity of television programs and other movies as well as the "whitening" of celebrities in photos.

Friends (predominantly white cast on TV)

The Last Airbender cast

This is in fact brought about by racial bias. In other words: it is racist. It is without doubt that the idea of “white” or light skin being far more superior and attractive has greatly affected, for several years, not just media but also the mindsets of people working for it. This issue is another one added to the list of concrete evidences that racism is still evident in the modern world. And casting more people of color should be done to help lessen the prevalence of it within our society, but unfortunately, parts of media still need to work on being less ignorant.

It is a common notion that our elders are different from us, whether it's in the way we dress, the music we listen to, and more importantly, in the issues which affect us every day. We assume they have no idea and cannot help us when it comes to the problems we face. Here's the thing though, it has always been the same issues. They are just relabeled or sensationalized into a so called "new" issue. It's the perspective that has changed gradually over the years. As skirts get shorter, and the parties get wilder, it would seem that the various social issues are changing but they remain to be the same problems. The topics below are arguably the most talked about social issues which people have debated on for decades.

ALCOHOL & DRUGS

Before: Alcohol and drugs have always been an issue. If it's not about its overabundance, it's the lack thereof. Many popular drugs were legal 'till the 1980's. Heroin, cocaine, and other dangerous drugs were easy and cheap to obtain. The drug's dangerous side effects were not common knowledge to most people, so it was widely used without thought. Alcohol flowed freely as it always has but it was kept from the teens most of the time. Now: Not much has changed in the past few decades except for the fact that they are now more accessible and increasingly dangerous. Underage drinking and drug use are one of the biggest problems of society today. The party lifestyle of getting wasted and high are glamorized in TV shows and movies. Drinking and smoking marijuana are now the norm for teens. On a positive note, people are trying to convince the government to legalize certain drugs like marijuana due to its medicinal benefits and alcohol is being taxed higher in more countries. Society is trying to show that some drugs can actually have a good effect. Remember though that too much of a good thing can also be bad especially when you don't need it.

SEX

Before: People's virginities were valued. Most believed that it was a shame to have sex or do any intimate acts before marriage. It was considered indecent and immoral to fornicate. The media tried their best to limit the amount of sexual acts shown in TV, books, movies, and newspapers. The biggest issue was making sure that women most especially were pure before marriage. People valued who they would lose their virginities to. If you watched Doogie Howser, it always talked about sex but when the teenage doctor had a chance at it, he refused to do it because he believed that there had to be a certain maturity and readiness prior to having sex. Now: Losing your virginity is now considered as a badge of honor. People now are more anxious to lose it due to what the media promotes. Men and women are now shamed for being virgins. Women are called prudes and men are called losers. Men are conditioned that it is close to impossible to find a virgin wife. Most TV shows today are not complete without a sex scene or two. The world today has become more liberated when it comes to sex. Some fear that society’s morals have become too loose. Video scandals of sexual acts are so easily circulated with the use of social media.

EQUALITY Before: Society was always rebelling against the government and their religions due to certain unequal precedents. Women were belittled and the freedom speech was not easily obtained. There were thousands of protests for women to obtain voting rights and for men and women to be able to speak their minds without fear of cruel punishments. Now: One of the biggest issues today is women empowerment and gay rights. Though the situation on the equality of women's rights have improved immensely over the years, there are still countries where women are not allowed to have an education or vote or even show themselves. Such amazing women like Malala Yousafzai have fought greatly for there to be equality between men and women. Other prominent people in the celebrity industry have greatly supported gay rights. Many places all over the globe have legalized gay marriage and their adoption of children. Though it is still a long way to go before the LGBT community is widely accepted, they have started to gain due respect.

BULLYING

Before: Physical bullying was the most prominent form seen and is still seen today but not as often. Kids would go home with bloody cuts and bruises due to a bully's horrible acts. Anti-bullying campaigns were set but it took awhile before society actually took notice of the effects of bullying in society. Bullying is not just seen in schools but in neighborhoods as well. Domestic violence is one severe form of bullying which was and still is a large issue. Many kids were heavily beaten by mothers and fathers. Many victims did not know how to defend themselves from their tormentors. Now: Bullying is now done in a more sophisticated form. Cyber bullying is a real issue teens face today. Tormentors now prey on the more vulnerable emotional aspects of people. They break people without even having to touch them. Young teens are easily victimized by cyber bullies whose identities don't even have to be revealed. The bully's use of the powerful tool of social media to ruin these people is downright terrifying. Someone's whole reputation can be ruined with a single video, photo, or post. Bullying has evolved scarily throughout the years and unfortunately has not been stopped.

With the evolution of these same social issues facing teens, several root causes can be attributed to the lack of self-esteem, identity and belongingness. Notably, a strong family and friendship support system is key to successfully transitioning teens to an emotionally stable adulthood without succumbing to these common social issues.

Several years ago, my family and I went on a trip to Egypt. Now, I was only seven years old that time, so I can only vaguely recall what happened when we were there, but I do remember being really amazed by the rich and spectacular culture and history of the country. Through photos I can call to mind some memories of the trip, like seeing the iconic landmarks, visiting museums and riding a camel.

But the one thing I can remember without the aid of pictures, were of my classmate's reaction when I told them about the trip. We went there during the semestral break so when I got back to school I was eager to tell my fellow first-graders about the whole thing, how cool Egypt was. Their reaction? “Ew you went to Egypt? Isn't it just all desert there?” to which I responded “No, it’s not! They have civilization there!”

So why am I telling you this? Well, the reason is not to brag about seven-year-old me knowing the word ‘civilization’ but to point out the fact that many of us, first-grade or otherwise, only know Egypt at a stereotypical level—as a desert with triangular structures in the middle. Much like the rest of Africa, where Egypt is, and the non-white world, we only see Egypt in the Western perspective. And that sucks because there’s a whole other side to the country (and MANY other countries) that we fail to see, because we've been brainwashed to see it in the way popular Western media wants us to see it.

You may be wondering, “Why the f— should I care?! I’m not even Egyptian!” Well see the thing is, Egypt has contributed so much to the world that reducing it to a stereotype is just plain offensive. And it’s horrendous how badly misrepresented Egypt is in Western media.

For example, white-washing. Most Hollywood movies depicting Egyptian culture and history have casts that are, well, NOT Egyptian. I don't know why these big-shot directors and producers could even think that they can get away with a white person playing an Egyptian just by putting fancy graphic eyeliner on them. Remember: EGYPT IS IN AFRICA. So why are there hardly any Africans, much less actual Egyptians, in these films? (Not to mention many have multiple historical inaccuracies)

Cleopatra (1963)

Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)

Not only is there white-washing in movies, but there are also the instances of cultural appropriation, especially in pop music, which mocked and reduced the Egyptian culture into a mere caricature of it, like a ridiculous and racist costume.

"Walk Like an Egyptian" dance (from the Bangles song of the same name)

Katy Perry's "Dark Horse" music video

These are just a few reasons why to a lot of people think Egypt is stuck in the ancient world with pharaohs and mummies and nothing more to it. Though their history is wonderful and long and important in the formation of human civilization as we know it, it's important to know that they have changed a lot since those times--while still retaining the richness of their heritage. I think we should learn to respect that and actually get to know about it, instead of believing in the wildly inaccurate portrayal shown by the media.

Malala YousaFZai

How much do you believe in education? When was the last time you convinced yourself that your education is just as important, or to some extent even worth more than your most prized possession?

Malala Yousafzai earned her badge of honor by becoming the youngest Nobel Peace Prize Winner last October 2014 because she believed that women and children deserved to be educated just as any person should be. She believed that everyone had the power to voice out her thoughts about the world and what seemed wrong about it. She used her courage to defy existing norms that called out injustice so that she can bring herself and her community to better circumstances.

She was very vocal about the Taliban’s banning of girl’s education in Pakistan. In 2008, she gave a speech entitled “How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?". In 2009, she wrote diary entries for BBC under the name Gul Makai (a heroine’s name from a Pashtun folk tale) on the experiences she was going through. She became a huge threat to the Taliban and was eventually shot by a gun man - the bullet penetrating through the left side of her head. She went through several measures to ensure her recovery and luckily survived.

Malala is recognized internationally for her phenomenal efforts to fight for her cause. She has won and has been nominated by many prestigious organizations for awards, has released a book ( I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban), and has immersed herself in causes that bring education to more children.

EDUCATION IS A RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILEGE – they all dare say. But how do we convince ourselves that this is indeed reality? How are we to convince ourselves that anyone is entitled to this no matter what her circumstances may be when we still strive in a world where people hover off to great extents like hungering or abusing themselves just to be able to reach a classroom, sit, and open their minds to new knowledge. How could something so fundamentally simple as receiving an education be a complicated feat to accomplish? When will the sun rise to the day we see all children have smiles on their faces because we all know they knew something new from the classroom that day without having to face the threat of danger in return?

For anyone privileged enough to be receiving education, never take what you have learned for granted. Pour in effort to your schooling. This is not to say that you have to drown yourself completely in books. Learn things you think will benefit you, refine the ideas you receive, challenge rules and theories, and surround yourself with mentors and friends that will help you establish your identity and purpose in the community.

We own the power to change our world’s circumstances and drive our own future – the only thing we have to do is to convince ourselves we can.